473 patients disappeared from PGI in past year

Harassment from the cumbersome treatment procedures and inability to afford the hospital expenditure could be the major reasons

A large number of patients who leave treatment midway is giving a tough time to the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER). A total of 473 patients at the hospital left their treatment in between April 1, 2015 and March 30, 2016.

Harassment from the cumbersome treatment procedures and long waiting periods, besides cost of treatment going beyond reach were cited as the major reasons to HT.

Who is an absconder

It means where a patient leaves a hospital without informing the staff. It is a serious issue, as patients who leave the hospital without doctor’s permission and without completing their treatment may cause harm to themselves, said a clinician from PGI.

The maximum number of such patients were from the paediatric medicine departmwnr (117), followed by gynaecology (102).

In paediatric medicine, out of 117, 46 children were undergoing treatment at general paediatric and hematology ward, 32 were in general paediatric I-4 C and 24 children were admitted in general paediatric develop neurology ward.

At the gynaecology department, 102 women left the hospital without informing anyone.Twelve substance users absconded from the drug de-addiction and treatment centre.

Reasons

“My son met with an accident and he injured his spine. We rushed him to PGIMER emergency but no one attended to us. He remained lying on a trolley for more than a month, was taken to the operation theatre around 10 times, but the staff there would return us saying that OT is pre-occupied with more serious cases,” said Jagsir Singh, father of an absconded patient.

“Most of these cases who disappear after getting admitted in the casualty ward or emergencies are those involved in drunken incidents, accidents and fights (medico-legal cases). Second category of absconded cases is those who belong to poor families and cannot afford the treatment, said Dr AK Gupta, PGI medical superintendent.

“Here treatment of poor patients is ignored; rather influential people are given a preference,” said Ashwani Munjal, GS, PGI Medical Technologists Association